"In common parlance, the word 'interview' refers to a one-on-one conversation between an interviewer and an interviewee."
Techniques for conducting effective interviews, including how to prepare for them, how to ask open-ended questions, and how to handle difficult or evasive sources.
Preparing for an Interview: Tips and tricks for setting yourself up for success when approaching an interview, including researching your subject, preparing questions, and setting the right tone.
Building Rapport and Asking Open-Ended Questions: Techniques for building trust and rapport with your interviewee, as well as strategies for crafting open-ended questions that elicit rich and detailed responses.
Conducting Successful On-Record Interviews: Key principles for conducting successful on-record interviews, including tips for making your subject feel at ease, building a productive rapport, and speaking the same language.
Ethics in Interviewing: Ethics issues specific to interviewing, including how to build trust and respect, the importance of maintaining journalistic integrity, and managing conflicts of interest.
Dealing with Difficult Subjects: Strategies for handling difficult interviewees, including how to stay calm and in control in the midst of confrontation or hostility.
Creative Approaches to Interviews: Various techniques for approaching interviews in a creative way, including brainstorming sessions, role-playing exercises, and other forms of interactive experimentation.
Interviewing Celebrities and Public Figures: Tips and strategies for securing interviews with high-profile celebrities and public figures, as well as the unique challenges that come with interviewing these individuals.
Digital Interviewing and Multimedia Tools: Techniques for conducting interviews online, as well as tools and technologies that can help you enhance the interview with multimedia content.
Editing and Incorporating Interviews into Your Writing: Strategies for incorporating interview material into writing, as well as tips for editing and streamlining the material for maximum impact.
Case Studies and Best Practices: Examples of successful interviews and best practices in interviewing from seasoned journalists and experts in the field.
Traditional Interview: The interviewee is asked a list of predetermined questions, and their responses are recorded for use in the article or story.
Conversational Interview: The interviewer aims to create a relaxed conversation with the interviewee, allowing them to share their thoughts and experiences in a more organic and free-flowing way.
Profile Interview: This type of interview aims to create a complete and detailed picture of the interviewee’s background, personality, and interests.
Expert Interview: An expert in a particular field is interviewed to provide insights and opinions on specific topics or issues.
Group Interview: Several interviewees are interviewed at once, often conducted as a panel discussion or debate.
Situational Interview: The interviewee is placed in a hypothetical situation, and their responses are evaluated based on how they would handle the scenario in real life.
Investigative Interview: The interviewer aims to uncover information or evidence related to a case or story by asking specific questions and following leads.
Emotional Interview: This interview technique aims to evoke the interviewee’s emotional response and get them to open up about their feelings on a particular topic.
Historical Interview: This type of interview aims to document a person’s personal experiences or perspectives on a particular historical event or period.
Telephone Interview: The interview is conducted over the phone, often used when the interviewee is unable to meet in person.
"The interviewer asks questions to which the interviewee responds, usually providing information."
"A job interview or interview with a witness to an event may have no other audience present at the time, but the answers will be later provided to others in the employment or investigative process."
"An interview may also transfer information in both directions."
"Interviews usually take place face-to-face, in person."
"Interviews may be separated geographically, as in videoconferencing or telephone interviews."
"Interviews almost always involve spoken conversation between two or more parties."
"In some instances, a 'conversation' can happen between two persons who type their questions and answers."
"Interviews can be unstructured, free-wheeling and open-ended conversations without predetermined plan or prearranged questions."
"One form of unstructured interview is a focused interview in which the interviewer consciously and consistently guides the conversation so that the interviewee's responses do not stray from the main research topic or idea."
"Interviews can also be highly structured conversations in which specific questions occur in a specified order."
"They can follow diverse formats; for example, in a ladder interview, a respondent's answers typically guide subsequent interviews, with the object being to explore a respondent's subconscious motives."
"Typically, the interviewer has some way of recording the information that is gleaned from the interviewee, often by keeping notes with a pencil and paper, or with a video or audio recorder."
"The traditionally two-person interview format, sometimes called a one-on-one interview, permits direct questions and follow-ups, which enables an interviewer to better gauge the accuracy and relevance of responses."
"It is a flexible arrangement in the sense that subsequent questions can be tailored to clarify earlier answers."
"Further, it eliminates possible distortion due to other parties being present."